Design: A State Affair

Together with the cities of Espoo, Vantaa,
Kauniainen and Lahti, Helsinki is the World Design Capital 2012. The Finnish
state is strongly involved in this project. The Ministry of Employment and the
Economy, as well as the Ministry of Education and Culture, are providing joint
financial support amounting to five million euros.

In addition, the ministries,
Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra and Tekes will carry out projects of their own
under the umbrella of the Design Capital.

Design means innovation and cultural policy to
the state sector. The nature of innovation activity is changing: alongside
technology, end user needs have become a key inspiration for innovation.
Studies have shown that design investments improve a company's competitiveness.
Good design is an intangible asset: the better the design, the better the
product or service. Design is a means of differentiation on the market.

"Design helps enterprises and the public
sector to take better account of user needs. Design should therefore be
utilised much more broadly, particularly by the SME sector", Minister of
Economic Affairs Jyri Häkämies commented at the project presentation held by
the ministries, Tekes and Sitra in Helsinki, on 14 December 2011.

He adds: "We also strive to improve public
services. Service design can help us to heighten the satisfaction of users and
to decrease costs. Later, the results of this work will become visible in the
services of TE Offices, among others."

Design also means culture and is a broad field.
It is industrial art – that is, both art and industry – and a sector of art
supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture, mainly through National
Lottery funds. The aim of cultural policy is to make culture broadly available
to everyone, with a low threshold. As many people as possible should
participate in culture. Design may also help to improve the everyday lives of
average citizens.

"I am convinced that the Design Capital
year will increase the utilisation of design and improve the employment rate
and livelihood of artists and other creative professionals", said Jarmo
Lindén, State Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Culture.

The project is also gathering information and
experience for a new national design programme. Prepared during the course of
next year by the MEE in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education and
Culture, this programme will be published at the end of the Design Capital year
2012. It will be developed with an open approach and formed with the help of
e.g. social media and workshops.

The state's Design Capital year projects have
been prepared by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, the Ministry of
Education and Culture, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the
Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of the Environment, as well as Tekes and
Sitra.